Thread: Near-Miss

your Very lucky could have ended up deadly, good to hear you ok

Yep agreed, back of head on those small rocks and you'd be history. Thanks for sharing

Wow you got lucky, thanks for sharing your story. Yes kaimais are very treacherous at times!

I know of one similar to what you're describing. I'll take a photo next time I'm up that way. It's pretty gnarly

Looks like a section of old water race or tramway cutting. there is a bit of this sort of thing in the Kaimais esp toward the north end.

Following small creeks downstream can be a tricky proposition too. I almost went over a small water fall once that I didn't see due to vegetation and the infinity pool effect.

Always good to keep in mind that the vegetation that tends to grow in vertical areas often has a good way of disguising the vertical nature of the areas in which it grows.

Yeah the Kaimias those old tram lines can be a blessing and a bloody big curse!
I take it you were on the BOP side. I’ve seen a few of these out that way. Seems to be worse from between the train tunnel to H29.
Before it was closed to the public te tui track road had a lot of these of either side of the old straight track. They seemed to dig in hard on the clay down to the bed rock. I think the shallow ones like the one you came across were created by a short run of timber. The wider ones when they hit a good stand.
Not had anything like what happened to you. But did fall off a bluff over Gordon base way. The fall and landing was fine but the deer that I had been carrying that then hit me was not so much fun.
I do try to always hold onto a vine on the way through. Can’t always be done but it dose slow your fall.
Your case. Nar you hit a real man trap.
Good to see you’re ok.
Thanks for posting.

its not the fall that kills you..its the sudden stop at the bottom.

I recall one time about 30 years ago my brother in law and I were hunting pheasants around lake Otamangakau. It was a misty bitterly cold day and nothing doing. To the east of the lake was a rolling plateau type area thickly covered with low heather - spanish heath so we decided to sweep it with the dogs as a last resort. We traversed this large area about 200m apart. Siddenly I stepped into nothingness and hit water about 3feet below ground level in a narrow hole approximately 75cm diameter. I was very fortunate that I was carrying my shotgun across my body and as I fell into the hole it wedged across the rim and luckily I did not lose my grip on it. It took me about 15minutes to eventually haul myself out of there after my yells for help went unheard by my companion. Had it not been for the gun wedged across the top I have no doubt I would have succumbed to exposure and drowned. I didnt touch bottom with my feet. Took hours later on to warm up enough to stop shivering. Very lucky that time.

You dont have the aera marked on GPS by any chance? might be interested to figure out what tramline it is on the map, there are quite a few forgotten ones around.

holy shitballs! I know the feeling, was coming down a steep ridge in galatea country last winter when I slipped on an unseen tree root!, everything happened bloody quick after that!, I backflipped twice throught the air, coming to land upside down on a flax bush!... If I hadn,t stopped there it would,ve been another 30m drop to the river below! bloody sobering I tell ya! I called that "luck" . Glad I always carry an epirb and other essentials, things you take for granted in the big country can nail ya if your not careful.

Rusky, feel like spots like this should be pinned on Doc Maps or something as dangerous. You were on my mind my friend as you know when I took a tumble in the Kaimais a couple of weeks ago down a muddy bank. I had that 8.30am being going since 3am blur, and ignored the inner voice saying "don't climb down that damp, muddy face to green moss covered rocks you muppet" which I ignored. Bruised leg and pride, but could have been worse. Always obey the "go around" rule if facing a dodgey move.

Good thread.

I used to read the accident reports in the back of the FMC bulletin and think “Ive been there and he died and I didnt. Why ?” Most often it was because Id turned back.

But this one, the hidden tomo, I can t really see why it couldnt happen to me.

As an aside this is one advantage the inreach or similar services have over epirb.....if you are using tracking and have shared the link with someone. If you have a bad fall and are incapacitated, then at some point whoever is following your progress will figure it out and be able to give an approx location to Police/SAR.

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Originally Posted by Ned

As an aside this is one advantage the inreach or similar services have over epirb.....if you are using tracking and have shared the link with someone. If you have a bad fall and are incapacitated, then at some point whoever is following your progress will figure it out and be able to give an approx location to Police/SAR.

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Good point re the tracking,
I was just wondering if a device like an InReach would work if you were in the bottom of a deep crevice?
At least with tracking there would be a clear path of where you were. I always use the 10 min track path when I’m in a more remote or new area.
Although not out of being safety conscious, more for the fact I enjoy looking back at where I’ve been.

Originally Posted by Lauries Hut

Good point re the tracking,
I was just wondering if a device like an InReach would work if you were in the bottom of a deep crevice?
At least with tracking there would be a clear path of where you were. I always use the 10 min track path when I’m in a more remote or new area.
Although not out of being safety conscious, more for the fact I enjoy looking back at where I’ve been.

Good points. I wonder if you fail to return from a trip and you did have an inreach, that Land SAR could access your tracking? I think an added safety feature allowing SAR to remotely access your registered inreach account for tracking could be a life saver.

I did inform DOC last week and they said Tauranga Heritage & Visitor team as well as our Biodiversity Rangers would be in touch if they need further information like GPS marks etc.

See map of fall hazard marked X for you Kaimai bush bashers.

Kaimais Hazard.pdf